When it comes to celebrity news, good gossip about the latest tattoo decisions and revisions are always guaranteed! This week was no exception with E! News reporting that Ariana Grande and her grandmother decided to bond by getting tattoos.

That’s right, 93 year old Marjorie Grande decided to bite the bullet and get her first inking with her granddaughter after Ariana won Billboard’s coveted Woman of the Year award. The duo did not decide to get matching designs, however, with Marjorie electing to have her late husband’s moniker ‘Ciccio’ sketched onto her finger and Ariana opting for a moon and stars arrangement.

If you’re wondering what the nonagenarian’s reaction was to her new tattooing experience, it’s reported that she simply said: “I feel fine.” No big deal, people!

https://www.eonline.com/uk/news/994547/ariana-grande-and-her-93-year-old-grandmother-get-tattoos-together

In other tattoo news this week, CBC did a feature on Holly Mititquq Nordlum, a tattooist in Alaska, who has been reviving the practice of inking Inuit tattoos, known as Kakinniit/Tunniit. This millennia-old art form can be completed with modern techniques, but Nordlu uses the ancient method of poking and stitching the tattoos into the skin with a needle and thread.

Nordlum speaks movingly about the importance of Inuit tattooing and the meaning behind the various designs. She describes how she hopes her efforts will encourage indigenous communities to celebrate their history proudly and perpetuate their traditions, stating:

“I’d been thinking a long time about how to reach younger people, how to make them aware and proud of who they are.”

While Nordlum only tattoos these designs on members of her community, it is a fascinating insight into an overlooked part of tattoo culture.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/inuit-tattoos-holly-nordlum-1.4915457

Also this week in tattoo news, The Sun provided a handy warning manual for any readers considering getting a tattoo as a homage to a favourite celebrity. Famous faces from Taylor Swift to Elvis Presley are presented in all of their cringe-worthy glory as a warning to always approach your inkings with time and consideration!

Celebrities aren’t the only malformed creations featured in their rundown; fiction characters also abound. Harry Potter and The Mad Hatter both look a little worse for wear. Check out the full listing, and remember to always research your tattoos and commit to them when you, and the artist, are sober!

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7903611/terrible-celebrity-superfan-tattoos-will-make-you-hope-you-never-meet-your-heroes/

The Atlantic also just released a fascinating article on the long-running foreign language tattoo trend.

Penned by Kevin Blankinship, an Arabic professor, who often finds people showing him their slightly less than accurate Arabic tattoos, it delves into the history of tattoo culture throughout the centuries and the ways in which different groups have copied others words and traditions.

Rather than admonishing the adoption of other linguistic and cultural phrases completely, the author delves into the personal reasonings that contribute to tattoo choices and how foreign words can help to express those meanings.

He states: “There is indeed a kind of magic when people come to see ordinary, everyday things through the fresh lens of a foreign tongue.”

With the ever-increasing popularity of foreign language tattoos, this report is well worth a read for any fan of tattoo culture!

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/12/benefits-foreign-language-tattoo/577576/